The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-03-14
AN ALASKAN ICEBERG.
A SPARKLING CITY OF CRYSTAL IN
A FIELD OF GLASS.

FAIRY Land in the Artfc Regions-An
Ice Mountain Planted in the Sea-Fate
of the Floating 3Tonster-An Awful
sight.
In the morning Dit was light now when
the sun rose it shOne On what appeared
to be Il field Of glass and city of crystal
Ice was to be seen all around as far as
the eye could penetrate. There was ice
in every size and form imaginable, and
the most wonderful thing about it was
that many of the masses resembied the
buildings of city There were houses
and churches, monuments, spires and
ruins. There were also islands and
mountains. Some were low and Hat,
others tall with jagged tops, many Ct
them miles and miles in extent. There
were a number of berGS or ice mountains
higher than the mainmast OF the tallest
ship. These were almost white, but hady
in many places a greenlsh blue color thaS
was soft and beautiful.
The whole scene sh0ne and sparkled 500
brilliantly in the light of the Just return
ing sun that one could almost fancy that
this was the region OF fairy land
Here was a very large berg immediate
~ before us 1t was jagged il form and
high rather than broad. Great peaks
rose ND like mountain tops in some wild
: motion to this, and the waves beat and
rriied upon its base just as they do on the
shores of an island. 1t seemed ike a
mountain planted i'll the sea, only 1t was
white instead of green, as mountain
should be There were cracks and tents
and cayefus just as there are III ragged
mountain side, and all OF beaulfuI DIue
color There were also slopes and crags
and Drecipices down which the water or
melted ice flowed in wild torrents. Many
of these were equal to small riyulets and
some of the waterfalls were beautiful.
This berg was two miles in circumference
of the base and about 800 feet above the
water.
TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.
AS it is we'll known that hoatng Ice
sinks deep and that there is much more
of it below than above the surface OF the
water Won NAV form some idea of what an
immense mass this mountain Of ice was
+, short time great rents Will open IN the
sides and immense quantities OF ice VII
fall into the sea from the top. The center
of orravitv will also be destroyed, and thel
this huge monster Will turn colhpleIeI.
inside down. This 1 often saw. As the
mass goes over with Il wild, hollow roar
new peaks and cliffs arise out Oh the SCI
nc the old ones disappear, while grea
oataracts Of upIiftcd brine pour furlousl.
down the sides. Apart from the danger
this is an awful sight and those who wit
ness it can usually only gaze I'D solemn
silence.
This so1nersault has sealed the fate o
this dangerous floating monster and 1t
end is near. Let us watch and wait, ant
from our hut on the ice humnock w
listen for some sound that should sery
as q signal. III two days we are sum
moned by loud reports that sound Xix
great guns. fastening to our lookout w
see great open seams have been sprung II
the sides from the top TO the water, ant
doubtless below. Rotten as it is, thi
berg cannot stand this change of position
Crack after crack is sprung with deafen
ing report. Lamps of all sizes fall from
its sides. Then there is a roar like Ions
continued thunder and moment after
the whole mass sinks down in ruin anC
with a mighty crash falls fat on the
ocean.
This is the history of nearly all the
bergs that leave Behring's strait.-Her
bert BatLett in The Current.